(1) Technical Field
The invention relates to instrument panels employed on vehicles and the like and more specifically to an adjustment mechanism for instrument panels which facilitate the installation of a panel between the front support pillars of a vehicle.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
As commonly known, instrument panels are disposed in the forward part of the passenger compartment of a vehicle and are typically mounted to a bulkhead running transversely across the compartment. The panels are also sometimes fastened to the front support pillars extending generally from the bulk head to the roof for supporting the doors on a vehicle. When the panels are mounted in a vehicle, unsightly gaps often exist between the ends of the panel and the support pillars at either side of the vehicle. These gaps result from tolerance variations between the panel and the vehicle itself. More specifically, the panels are generally manufactured to much higher tolerances than the frame of the vehicle itself. Consequently, during installation of the panels, gaps from 6 to 10 millimeters can arise between the ends of the panels and the pillars.
Solutions to this problem in the prior art have been directed toward various configurations in the sheet metal of the frame at the edges of the panels for "blinding" these gaps. One example of these types of efforts can found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,383 issued to Kikuta on Sept. 21, 1982. The Kikuta '383 discloses an instrument board mounting structure which incorporates a specific bending configuration of the mounted portions at the edges of the panels for limiting the gap between the support pillars and the panels to a minimum. However, it appears that the mounting structure of the Kikuta '383 patent would still be hostage to the tolerance variations between the panels and the vehicle as the mounting structure of Kikuta is ultimately dependent upon the location of the corresponding mating bolt holes in the support pillars and mounting structure for receiving a fastener. Indeed, the disclosure of the Kikuta '383 patent illustrates that even while employing the mounting structure disclosed, a gap is still presented between the instrument panel and the support pillars. Further, any substantial variation in the tolerances from the design specifications would result in gaps of various sizes between the panel and support pillar.
The subject invention overcomes these problems in the prior art by employing a variation adjustment mechanism at the edges of the instrument panel which is not employed for mounting purposes but which cover any gaps between the panels and the support pillars that existed in the structures of the prior art.